Buying property in Colombia
The purchase process step by step, and where the technical and legal checks belong.
Guides
Guides for foreigners buying or building in Colombia
Plain-language technical guides written by an Industrial Engineer. They explain how the process works, which norms apply and which questions to ask before you pay.
Most foreign buyers in Colombia pay in cash, so no bank checks the technical side of the purchase or the build. These guides fill part of that gap. Each one is limited to what an engineer can explain from experience in project management and construction control, and each one says clearly where you need an attorney, a licensed architect or another specialist.
If you are planning to build, start with the complete guide to building a house in Colombia. If you are still choosing a property, start with buying property or buying land.
Buying land in Colombia
Title, boundaries, land use, access, utilities, soil and environmental limits: what to verify before you buy a plot.
Building permits in Colombia
Who issues the permit, what designs and studies it needs, and how to prepare so it does not delay your project.
Cost to build a house
The parts of a construction budget, what drives the cost and how currency risk affects a foreign owner.
NSR-10 in Colombia
What NSR-10 is, how it is organised and the questions an owner should ask about the structure of a house.
RETIE in Colombia
What RETIE and NTC 2050 are, who is responsible for what, and which electrical points to verify during construction.
APU in Colombia
How a unit price analysis is built, how to read one and what to ask when a price looks unclear.
Avoiding construction fraud
What to verify before each payment, who should verify it, and when to stop: a practical way to reduce the risk of fraud, delays and defects.
Off-plan property risks
The main risks of buying a home before it is built, the documents to ask for, how your payments are protected and what to check at handover.
Promise of sale
What the promesa de compraventa is and the questions to ask about the property, the price, the dates and the penalties before you sign and pay.
Construction red flags
Warning signs in the documents, the payments, the site and the builder's behaviour, and what to do when you see one.
Before You Buy, Get an Independent Technical Review
A guide explains the process. A review applies it to your property or your project.
This page is general technical information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Regulations change: confirm the current text with the official sources and with your attorney.